WILLIAM YOST HTTOIBOKDT. 291
journal, and that it was their wish that Goethe should
join this select association^ of which one or two were
always to read over and judge tke contributions sent
in. Goethe willingly accepted the invitation; and
the first few numbers of the paper contained., besides
two long essays by Bhimboldt, contributions from the
editor — Schiller, Goethe, Herder, Mchte, A. W,
Schlegel, Engel, and Professor Meyer.
Goethe came to Jena soon after this., in consequence
of his association with the journal, and then the basis
of that friendship between the two poets was laid, in
which Hiimboldt participated to so eminent a degree,
and which is an honour to German literature.
After Goethe's departure from Jena7 from whence
his correspondence with Schiller dates, we find, in
every letter " Remember me kindly to Humboldt aaad
the ladies ;'* and when, a few months later, he invited
Schiller to visit him in Weimar,, he requested Sum-
boldt to accompany his friend, which he did, although
only for a few hours. ISTo other stood in such near
relation to the two German poets ; and a correspond-
ence between Humboldt and Goethe was soon after-
wards commenced, which was carried on for nearly
forty years ; as it has3 however, not yet been pul>-
lished, we possess only the indications of it which,
from time to time, appear in Humboldt's letters to
Schiller.
Goethe now visited his Jena Mends from time to
time, and Humboldt returned Ms visits to Weimar.
In November, Humboldt accompanied Ms brother
Alexander, who had been in Jena and was going to
Frankfort, as far as Weimar; and Goethe writes to
Schiller—"Humboldt arrived to join an aesthetic-
critieal session; I do not know how it entertained
him i3' and ScMller replies—" Humboldt, who w0nM
be warmly commended to you^ is still full of "im-
pression wMch your method of reading Homer has
made upon him ; and he has excited in us ail such: a
desire for it, that when you come again • for a few
days, we shall not rest until you hold such, a session
tr 2